Jiminy! Newest energy bar option has cricket center

A Utah company is hoping their energy bars jump off the shelves at the Living Earth here in the city. People just have to warm up to the idea of eating ground up crickets.

The city grocery store is the first in New England to carry the Chapul bars that contain protein flour made from milled crickets. While the idea of eating insects is something not unheard of in other countries, the makers of the cricket bar admit getting people to try the bar is the first hurdle.

“We've run into every reaction under the sun,” Chapul spokesman John Beers said. “Once people actually taste the bar, they actually love it and realize it isn't that weird. We know this isn't for everybody.”

People freaked out about seeing cricket parts sticking out don't have to worry.

“We mill them down into fine flour,” Mr. Beers said. “There aren't going to be legs or antennas sticking out.”

Frank J. Phelan, store manager for the Living Earth at 232 Chandler St., said the first delivery of bars came on Dec. 24. He had hoped the delivery would have arrived sooner in order to get some stocking stuffer sales.

The bars, which go for $3.59 at Living Earth, are the first insect-containing product sold by the store. Some bars have been sold, but it is still a new product.

“It's going to take a little bit of time for people to get acclimated to it,” Mr. Phelan said. “That's true for anything new.”

The bar tastes the same as other energy bars, Mr. Phelan said. The bars come in two flavors, peanut butter chocolate and coconut ginger lime.

The idea of using milled crickets and infusing the flour into the bars for protein is a good way to introduce eating insects to Americans, Mr. Phelan said.

“In other parts of the world, insects have been part of the cuisine for some time,” he said.

Outside Living Earth last week, a customer was asked to try one of the cricket bars.

Alvin Gjata, 25, of Worcester inspected the clear packaging, looking at how the product was put together. There are dates, nuts, chocolate and other ingredients.

“It is great, man,” he said, chewing on the Thai bar, the coconut ginger lime version. “It's a nice product. I like it. It is something I would buy.”

A native of Albania, the thought of eating crickets wasn't odd to him. Using crickets for protein was smart, he said.

“You need protein anyway,” Mr. Gjata said.

Shawn McFarland took a look at the Chapul bar at the store, but couldn't try it because of allergies, and he wasn't fond of the flavors.

Yogurt and tofu used to be odd foods for Americans when they were first introduced, but now both are frequently eaten by people here in the states, Mr. Phelan said.

The bars have been on the market for about six months now, mainly on the West Coast.

Mr. Beers said he and company founder Pat Crowley have worked as river guides for years. The use of crickets as protein is geared toward water conversation. Whey and soy are used in many energy bars, but those food sources use a lot of water, Mr. Beers said.

“Insects, however are incredibly efficient at converting nitrogen plant matter into a very healthy source of protein for humans while emitting few greenhouse gases and not requiring nearly as much land resources,” Mr. Crowley said in a company statement.

Crickets are also very efficient users of water, Mr. Beers said.

“Some people are so deeply ingrained that bugs are disgusting that they will never eat these, and that is ok,” Mr. Beers said. “We think the bar is a really environmentally conscious choice and the people who had given it a shot love it.”

Ten percent of sales will be used for watershed conservation in either Thailand or the Colorado River. The Chapul company is located in Salt Lake City, Utah.